


Shark Week

by AutumnAlchemist



Category: Seduce Me (Visual Novel)
Genre: Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-23
Updated: 2015-11-23
Packaged: 2018-05-02 23:56:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5268689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AutumnAlchemist/pseuds/AutumnAlchemist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What are the boys to do when Mika has an ailment that she won't talk about? What's going on? And how will they help her out through all of this?</p><p>***Edit*** As of now, I will not post any more chapters for this story. I had ideas, and then before I could write them down they disappeared. For now, it's finished and a short, stand-alone story. Thanks to all who have read it and tried to help!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Shark Week

Mika knew the moment she woke up that her weekend plans had been ruined. Finding herself opening her eyes to the rising sun that was beginning to pour into her room, she glared at it before she slowly sat up, orientating herself. Why was she up so early? And what awoke her? Her thoughts were muddled and confused before she felt the beginning ache starting just below her navel. Her breath hitched, making it known that it surprised her, but she didn't make any other sound. That's when she felt it: the sticky sensation that stuck to her, and she instantly knew.

 

 _Why today of all days?_ She moaned to herself in her mind, before standing up. She managed to hobble herself over to her dresser drawer before pulling out a few items. Living in a house with 5 guys, Incubi at that, prompted her to keep these items at hand, not wanting them to find them and grow ever more curious. She would die of embarrassment if she had to explain what **this** was.

 

With herself taken care of in the nearest bathroom, she came into the bedroom once again and noticed the stain upon the sheets. Giving a sigh, Mika grabbed all the sheets and stripped her bed, ignoring the feeling that still clung to her. How she'd love to just soak in the bath, but she didn't have time. It was early, and she wanted to get these in the washer and cleaned before any of the boys noticed.

 

It was just her luck that while she carried the bundle in her arms, wearing a different pair of pj pants than her top, she passed by Damien. She tried to make her mind blank, looking away as heat burned across her face, trying to hide the shame.

 

“Oh, Mika. What are you doing up so early?” He asked, his voice soft as he looked at her curiously with violet eyes. She tried to keep her mind from becoming jumbled once again, thinking of other things like the way the sun warmed her, how it brightened the day, not to focus on the way she ached everywhere.

 

“Oh! Morning Damien,” she chirped, giving a small smile as she hid her wince. The bed sheets were still bundled up in her arms, trying hard to hide what soiled them. “I-I just... I couldn't sleep anymore a-and... well I decided I should get started on my laundry!” She remarked, thinking of chores, such as laundry and everything else that entailed cleaning. She could see Damien's eyes were watching her, brow furrowed at the way her brain was processing images.

 

“But didn't you just change the sheets last week?” He questioned. That stopped her for a moment, before she gave a chuckle. “W-well... I read somewhere that you should change the sheets every week. It's better for the health of your skin,” she explained before she started to head towards the laundry room. “So I wanna see if it'll help!” She remarked. When she was far enough away, she let her act drop, and she bit her lip to hide the groan. 'I hate shark week....' she thought to herself, unaware that she wasn't quite far away from him, as she headed to the laundry room to get started on her laundry.

 

Damien watched her leave, confused at the way her thoughts flit about. He noted pain, the way she talked about a 'shark week' and that she hated it, but she grew far enough away that he could no longer hear them, and that prompted him to see about talking with his brothers. However, none of them were up. Except for James. Deciding to find him and discuss this, he went towards the study, not wishing to leave Mika in pain like this.

 

He passed by Sam's room, hearing the others phone going off for an alarm and he knew that the other was beginning to rouse, much to the others dismay at the time. Coming towards the study, he felt nervous before knocking on the door, hearing the Eldest brother's thoughts consumed with the paperwork he was reading.

 

“Yes?” He heard, and he stepped inside the study, already seeing James was dressed for business, paperwork scattered around the desk with a pen in hand. Concept designs for toys as well as contracts were there, but he paid no mind to it. “Oh, Damien. You're up early,” he commented, adjusting his glasses to his youngest brother. Damien gave a small smile, hearing the other think it was odd. “I was gonna go and see about making some breakfast for everyone, but I just passed by Mika in the hallway,” he started, motioning out the door as he saw Sam pass by, a yawn on his face as he headed towards the bathroom himself.

 

“That's odd. She's rarely up this early on a weekend,” he commented as he placed the paperwork that was in his hands upon the wood of his desk. Damien nodded. “It is, so when I passed by her in the hall, carrying her sheets to the laundry room, I was curious.” Damien thought about it, trying to understand. There were a lot of things in the human realm that he didn't know about, especially when it came to other humans and some of their customs, but this worried him a great deal.

 

“Perhaps we can converge together, once everyone is awake after some breakfast,” James offered, deciding food was a good way to get everyone working. With a nod, Damien headed in his original destination, the kitchen, to get started on food. Matthew was awake already, looking bright-eyed and bushy tailed this early, and Damien couldn't help but smile at his brother's infectious morning spirit.

 

“Morning!” The darker haired male exclaimed, not loudly but it was still loud and broke some of the silence of the hall. Damien chuckled as he walked along. “A good morning to you as well, Matthew,” Damien responded, giving a smile to the slightly shorter male. “I was just gonna go and make some breakfast. Would you like to join me?” The auburn haired male asked, and that got Matthew to smile and nod. “Of course!” The two headed off towards the kitchen, passing by the laundry room as they could hear the quiet cursing inside. It drew Matthews attention, but Damien took note about her talking about how it was always hard to work 'these' kinds of stains out, but he tugged Matthew back, much to the others confusion.

 

“We're all gonna talk about it later,” he answered the question that was in Matthew's head. Nodding, the fourth son and the fifth son headed off towards the kitchen, intent on making breakfast for everyone. They chatted amicably, wondering what to actually make so that everyone could have something and actually enjoy it. Not just Sam or Matthew stuffing their faces with everything and leaving none (though Matthew was exclaiming it was just one time!)

 

Mika finally got the load into the washer, having sprayed everything with a stain remover and working it with her hands before tossing it into the wash to get them clean. With a sigh, she found the notepad that was in there and hurriedly wrote that she would do her own laundry for the week. With that, she sighed as she headed up to her room once again. She needed to find some pain killers, and call Suzu and Naomi to cancel plans. She hated doing that, but with 'this' never being a set time, as well to the fact she often felt horrible, she could barely move, and a day out at the arcade or cafe didn't sound fun at all. Not right now. She trudged past Erik, who was had a genuinely happy smile upon his face.

 

“Why good morning, Princess. You look,” he paused, blinking purple eyes in surprise at her disheveled appearance. “W-well, you certainly look like you could use some more sleep,” he finished, feeling rather nervous about that. Mika could feel her irritation starting to rise but she bit her tongue and tried to keep her head cool. “I feel like it, but I need to ah... do a few things,” she answered, trying to hide the wince once again as she felt the muscles cramping once more.

 

“Oh? Do you require some assistance?” He asked, a playful lit to his voice and it irked her more, but she managed to control it. “No. I'll be fine,” she stated, giving a small smile as she turned to go to her room, only to run smack dab into Sam's chest. She fell onto her butt, groaning as she rubbed her nose.

 

“Why the hell are you up so early?” He asked, grumbling as he looked much too tired to even be functioning. The throbbing of her nose and also the ache in her abdomen made her glare but she picked herself up. _'Control yourself, Mika. They don't know.'_ She told herself, taking in a deep breath as she moved past him. “I'd rather be sleeping...” She grumbled, walking away before she snapped at any of the boys. They didn't deserve her anger and irritation.

 

As she headed off, fists clenched in her hands, the second and third son of the Demon Lord watched her leave, both surprised and concerned. “I just asked her what she was doing up..” Sam grumbled, glaring a bit while Erik brought a hand up to his chin in thought. “And the fact her pajama pants are different than when I saw her in last night,” he mused quietly, making Sam raise an eyebrow. “She passed by me on the way to the kitchen for a snack last night. Are you getting jealous, Sam?” Erik asked, a teasing smirk on his face. Sam growled before shoving past his older brother, heading to go and get himself into some casual clothing for the day.

 

Mika closed the door to her room and sighed, resting her head backwards as she tried to figure what she should do first. Take some pain relievers or make her bed first? The decision was made when she felt another painful clench, one that nearly had her doubled over in pain. Heading to her bathroom, she opened her small medicine cabinet. Twisting the bottle open, she dumped two pills into her palm before taking the cup that was beside her tooth brush and filled it with water. Downing the pills and the water, she replaced everything and just stood there, gripping the sink edge before she looked back up into the mirror.

 

Her face was pale, circles under her eyes just starting, while her hair was a mess. She groaned before deciding sleep was going to evade her, and splashed her face with some cool water. It helped a little bit. With that, she went back to her room, and pulled from the closet a fresh set of sheets. She was lucky the mattress wasn't stained, but she knew she had to go and get a mattress protector at some point. She started the arduous process of making her bed again, trying to get it just right. With it made, new blankets put on, she flopped down upon the mattress and laid there, wanting to curl up and not move at all.

 

It was at that point that her alarm went off, and she looked up at her phone, giving a harsh glare before she silenced it. Mika was uncertain what to do now, but she decided to give Naomi and Suzu a call, letting them know that she wasn't going to be going out, much to her own displeasure. With a sigh, she resolved to calling Naomi first, knowing she'd be awake by this point and would listen. Suzu probably was still sleeping. Maybe.

 

Damien looked up from scrambling some eggs when Erik walked in, a look of concern in his face as seemed to contemplate something. “What's up?” Matthew asked, looking up from flipping pancakes to see Erik as well. The salmon haired brother looked up finally at the two. “Good morning you two,” he remarked with a small smile sighing a bit. “I just walked by the Princess,” he began once more as he walked a little closer. The smell of the food drew him in and made him want more, but he continued to speak, leaning against the opposite counter.

 

“Oh? What about Mika?” Matthew asked, slipping the two pancakes onto the plate before pouring more batter for a few more pancakes to be made. Erik sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “She certainly didn't look like herself. It's almost as if she's sick,” he remarked, a thoughtful hum escaping him as he closed his eyes. “Oh! That's not good!” Matthew exclaimed, nearly forgetting about the pancakes and frying pan in his hands when he turned, but he luckily didn't turn to face Erik all the way. “I didn't see her, but Damien mentioned something about her not looking good either,” he finished, seeing Damien nod.

 

“From what I gathered in her thoughts, she was trying to keep me out from hearing something. But I think talking all together will be a bit easier,” Damien remarked, carefully putting the fluffy scrambled eggs into a bowl for everyone to dish up when it was served. That bit of information intrigued Erik, but it seemed they were interrupted by James walking into the kitchen, worry across his face as well. “So you noticed as well,” Erik commented, looking over at the golden-eyed brother of his. He nodded, sighing some. Sam was still the last to arrive, but with the smells of food, it was sure to bring him down to eat as well.

 

“I'll go and get her see if she'd like to have breakfast as well,” James remarked, deciding to go and try and make himself useful. The other three looked to one another before they started to finish making breakfast. As James made his way towards Mika's room, he could hear her conversation she was having with Suzu on the phone. He tired hard not to listen, but she expressed that she was sorry that she was canceling their plans today. That was very odd, for her to cancel plans. Especially when he knew she didn't have much else to do. It worried him, but he waited until she was done on the phone before knocking.

 

“Mika?” He called through the door. He heard a thump of her phone being dropped, probably in surprise. “Breakfast is ready. Would you like to come down and have some with us?” He asked through the door still, not sure if she was wanting to actually have some or not. It was silent, before he heard Mika say she wasn't feeling good so she'd skip out. That wasn't like her, but James couldn't press the issue further, deciding to converse with his brother's over what could be going on. Damien was the one who brought this up.

 

Back down in the dining room, Sam had arrived and he was setting the table, grumbling about how stupid it was that he forgot to turn his alarm off. “Mika won't be joining us for breakfast,” he told Sam, making the middle child pause and raise an eyebrow at him. “She mentioned not feeling well,” he elaborated, making Sam roll his eyes but he didn't set a plate down for Mika. Damien and Matthew were starting to bring out the food, and seeing only 5 plates, Matthew looked up at James. He gave a gentle shake of his head, indicating she wasn't joining. He looked sad but he couldn't force Mika to do anything. With the food on the table and it was set, they all sat down and began to eat.

 

“So Damien,” James started, going at this point. “You mentioned about how you noticed something was off with Mika.” Damien nodded, trying to gather his own thoughts as he tried to block his brother's curious questions in their head. “She was up rather early, carrying her sheets in her arms and looked pretty nervous about something,” Damien began, thoughtful as he looked to Erik piping up.

 

“She seemed to have this air of misery around her. And I noticed that her pajama pants were different then last night,” he began, and gained a look from the others. He frowned at their accusing glances. “I passed by her last night when she was heading to the kitchen for a snack. Nothing more happened,” he explained. Sam gave a grunt as he put another forkful into his mouth. He swallowed before speaking.

 

“She looked ready to kick my ass when I saw her,” he stated, leaning back into his chair. Matthew looked surprised, and a bit fearful, at the idea of an angry Mika. “I-I heard her cursing over something in the laundry room, and it made me worried until Damien had me go to the kitchen with him,” he remarked, looking thoughtful at the memory. James sighed as well, trying to put the pieces together. It was difficult to try and figure out Mika's sudden mood change, and he couldn't pin point it. She's never acted like this in the months they've been living with her.

 

“She made the statement about canceling her plans with her friends too, and she stated she didn't feel well to have breakfast.” By now, all 5 brother's were trying to piece this enigma that became Mika together, wondering what was going on. Damien finally remembered something and piped up once again.

 

“Ah. I remember that she was in pain and...” He paused, pursing his lips in thought. “The term she used was that she hated 'shark week,' though I can't possibly figure out what it could mean,” he stated. By that point, James and Erik had a sudden look of understanding, leaving the other three confused. They were the eldest of the 5, so it was sure to be known that they were knowledgeable about the world. James cleared his throat, and Damien was bombarded with the thoughts of information that was processing through James' mind.

 

“Ah, so that would explain it,” Erik remarked, leaning back into his chair and crossing his arms. Sam and Matthew were confused, while Damien was trying to process all the information that was going through both Erik and James' minds. He shook his head, blinking a few times before it made sense and he flushed, now understanding. It made sense now. That just left Sam and Matthew in the dark.

 

“Explain what?” Sam asked, irritation clear in his tone as he stared at the older two. James and Erik glance at one another, before they both sighed. “You have a much easier time explaining things of this nature than I do, dear brother,” Erik remarked, rubbing his temple at the thought of having to deal with this information. “What are you guys talking about?” Matthew asked, concern flashing in his face. “I-is she gonna be okay? I mean, hearing something about a shark week makes me wonder if she's gonna die!” Damien shook his head before deciding to push his plate away. No longer hungry.

 

James sighed as he turned to the other two, trying to decide on his words. A glance over at Damien revealed he understood. Exasperated, James began to explain, to the best of his knowledge, what that phrase meant and what usually entails with it.

 

The discussion was short, simple, but it was still informative and from the looks on Sam and Matthew's faces, they were pretty well shocked, even for young men themselves. “Oh man... that doesn't sound fun,” Matthew remarked, looking a little green. Sam meanwhile had a look of concentration, perhaps thinking of how he could try and lessen the pain she had.

 

“Unfortunately, women from the onset of puberty, which can start as early as the age of 9 in some cases, go through this every month,” James finished, a sigh leaving his lips. Erik nodded, looking up at the ceiling in sympathy to the young woman above.

 

“It brings up the question though: why has this never happened before? Especially with us having been here for so long,” Damien asked, trying to think why that is the case. James answered this question, naturally.

 

“Some do not follow that rule of every month. Their bodies seem to have their own clock, and it's timing can be off, where they have it every few months, to just a few weeks later. Some don't even get it for a year before they have another cycle,” James explained, making everyone nod slowly.

 

“So, that makes me wonder, how the hell are we going to help her?” Sam asked, crossing his arms as they all stared at one another. It was tense between them, wondering what they could do. Erik was the first to speak, surprisingly.

 

“Well, it might be best to observe what she does. She could have a myriad of symptoms that we don't know about, and as much fun as it is to tease her, I doubt any of us wish to get on her bad side.” The mental image of her kicking him out of retaliation was a frightening image, prompting him and Damien to shiver in fear. Matthew gave a hum as he thought.

  
“Well, why don't we try to help her out? I mean, nothing big. But maybe small things,” he started, trying to think. James nodded. “I read that women get a craving for chocolate or other sweet things during such a time, but then again, Mika could be different.” That left them back at square one, but Matthew seemed determined.  
  
“I'll make her some sort of chocolate cake! Maybe that'll cheer her up!” He remarked, standing up in his excitement. Sam reached up and pulled him back down, making the other give out a small 'oof' in surprise.

 

“Hold on now. Let's try and think before we go acting on anything,” he remarked, giving a light glare at his brother. Matthew glared back. “Like you think...” he remarked childishly but before a fight could erupt, Damien piped up.

 

“Perhaps we could try and lessen the pain for her?” He offered, thoughtful himself. Everyone tried to think of how, before Erik had an idea. “Perhaps a bath?” He offered and others were thoughtful. “Maybe if she looks like she wants to, we can help her out? For now though, let's just leave her be and allow her to come to us herself,” James stated, finally drawing a middle line. If Mika wants some help with anything, then they could help her. With everyone seemingly in agreement, the brother's went and started to prepare themselves for whatever may come.

 

 

 

Mika just laid in her bed, curled up in a ball as she let the sun stay upon her back. It helped tremendously, but even with the heat of the sun and painkillers, the cramps were still painful. She wanted to just die as she laid there, hiding her face into the pillows to try and quiet the whimpers of pain. Time seemed to move too slow, and she didn't know what the time was. As she was debating whether to get into a bath or to try and nap, she heard a gentle knocking on her door. Looking up, Mika sighed heavily, trying to school her thoughts and features to be a bit more like how she used to be.

 

“Yes?” She called out. With permission, the person entered. It was Matthew. He gave a grin, and Mika couldn't help but smile back at the infectious smile. “Hey Matthew,” she greeted, covering a grimace with a bit of a wider smile. He stared at her, looking a bit nervous before he came closer. “I was gonna see about baking something, but I couldn't think of what to make. Do you have any ideas?” He asked her, tilting his head cutely. Mika wasn't sure what to think of, her stomach twisting at the thought of food, especially since all it did was just make her feel worse.

 

“A-ah.... well...” she tried to think of something but nothing sounded appealing. “Have you asked your brothers?” She asked him, not wanting to say something and end up making him feel bad. He nodded, crossing his arms as he looked thoughtful. “Yeah, but they couldn't come to a decision either,” he answered. She hummed, turning the thought in her head. She finally decided and nodded.

 

“Well... something with chocolate maybe?” She started, and he looked thoughtful once again. “Maybe... a chocolate cheesecake?” She stated. Matthew looked thoughtful, before he gave a grin. “Hey! That sounds good! I'll see about finding a recipe and go make it! Thanks!” He said, and with a wave of his hand, he practically skipped off, bare feet making little taps against the carpet. She shook her head at him, finding his actions endearing. Sighing, Mika stayed sitting up in her bed, mulling the thought over, before she flopped over to lay on her back, wincing again.

 

She decided to go and draw up a bath, finding that it probably would be the best help for her right now, and then after that, she'd attempt to work on the finals she had for school. It still surprised her that she was graduating this year, but she couldn't focus right now. Standing up, grabbing some more casual clothing, she headed out to the hallway to and get herself a fresh towel, deciding it would be nice to have one for herself to use. It also reminded her that the washer was probably finished and she should go switch that to the dryer.

 

She groaned, uncertain about what she should do next, before she went to go swap out the laundry, Mika turned her direction towards the laundry room, rubbing her temples as she felt the headache starting up. Just as she was coming to the laundry room, she heard the dyer going, and it confused her. She knew she didn't come down to do laundry, so who did? She looked around and saw a different note. Picking it, she read the shaky handwriting.

 

'So Erik helped me make this note, but I switched the laundry around for ya. You don't need to do it by yourself. Sam.” She stared at the way it was written, the letters unsure but it was unmistakable. Mika stared for a bit as her face grew red and she set the note down, before heading out of the room, embarrassment and shame staining her face. Well, she couldn't go and do that now. Heading back towards the linen closet, she grabbed a dark colored fluffy towel and headed for the bathroom in her room. She passed by Erik, her face still burning red. He gave a grin at her, not one of mischief intent, but one that showed he was happy to see her.

 

“Feeling a little better, Princess?” He questioned curiously at her while they passed by. She gave a small nod, flushing still. “A-a little. Thanks,” she mumbled and they two separated. Entering her room, she could hear the sound of water filling the tub and she grew curious. Looking in, she saw the tub was beginning to fill, with a lavender candle light, washing the room with the calm scent it provided while the tub itself was a murky color. The jar of bath salts the explanation as to why. She flushed again, realizing it was Erik who started this. Was Damien nearby and hearing her thoughts? That made it all the more worse and she felt like crying, but she held it back. She set the towel down before undressing. She pinned up her hair, not wanting to get it wet, before checking the temperature. It was warm, blissfully so, and she stepped in, letting the water rise up and cover her some more.

 

A sigh escaped her lips as she enjoyed the warmth seeping into her body, soothing the aches of her cramps and other issues, as well as it just allowed her to float in the large tub. Feeling the water getting to the right height, she reached with her foot and turned off the water tabs, letting herself just lay there in the water, finding herself growing in ease as the water soothed the nerves.

 

She didn't know how long she laid there, enjoying the warm water, the stillness surrounding her, before she sighed and stood up. Carefully she wrapped herself in the towel and stepped out of the tub, pulling the cord that drained the tub and watched it sink down. She blew out the candle, and then carefully dressed herself once more. She still felt icky, but there wasn't anything she could do about it. Depositing her pajama top into the laundry basket, she went and put the cleaner pair of pajama pants next to the dresser again as she undid her hair, running a brush through it as she tried to think. She probably would need to take some more medication to help. Mika sighed as she sat down on the edge of the bed, the towel still in her hands, before she rubbed at her face, feeling exhausted, upset, pained, and all around, miserable.

 

Her thoughts were interrupted, once again, at the sound of a knock on her door. Looking up, in the doorway stood James. He gave a smile to her and she gave a weak one back. “I see a bath helped,” he stated, stepping in carefully to face her. She nodded, stretching a bit. “I couldn't help but overhear your conversation with your friends. Are you sure you're okay?” He asked, worry evident in his tone. Mika looked at the black haired male, the sudden urge to just blurt everything out. No, she wasn't feeling better. No, things weren't okay. No matter how much medication she took, no amount of heat she applied, nothing made it better. She did bite her lip and sighed a bit.

 

“Yeah. I'm fine. Just... just feeling a little under the weather, and I felt like I'd probably just drag them down,” she explained, giving a reassuring smile. He watched her for a moment, the worry clear on his face, but he nodded in understanding. “Alright. Well, there is some tea that I made. Would you like to join me? Matthew's cheesecake is finished as well, and he's offered everyone to have a slice.” A stomach growling interrupted them and Mika flushed, looking away.

 

“Th-that... that doesn't sound so healthy but.... but it sounds nice,” she offered. Mika knew she couldn't hide forever, but she just wanted to not move and do anything. James smiled, giving a nod. That's when Mika remembered. “Ah! Let me just hang my towel back up real quick,” she told him, standing back up. James blinked but gave a nod. “I'll be in the Library then, Miss,” he told her, giving a grin before he walked out. Mika sighed before she went to the hook and hung up the towel, and then went to take more of the pills. With two more downed, she headed in the direction of the library, passing by Sam who was bringing up the basket.

 

“S-Sam!” She exclaimed, surprised to see him carrying it up. It didn't weigh much to the third son, so he easily could have carried it with one hand.... if he didn't wanna risk dropping everything down to the ground again. Looking up, he gave her a small smile. “Hey sleepyhead. I didn't know you could be so cranky when you first wake up,” he told her. That made her irritation spark again, but it passed quickly as he started to walk towards her room. “I got the laundry. No need to worry your pretty little head,” he offered, giving a warm smile as he gave her a light ruffle of her hair. She pouted at the taller male, but he was gone with a small laugh. Sighing, she just headed in the direction of the Library, going there to have tea.

 

Coming to the library, James was just setting down two plates, one for him and one for her, of the chocolate cheesecake. The sight made her salivate but she didn't rush over to grab it. No, no she had to keep this act of her feeling a bit under the weather, that's all. She smiled at James before sitting in the other armchair as James was pouring tea. She couldn't guess what the flavor was, but it looked warm and she had a feeling it'd taste good.

 

“What kind of tea is this?” She asked curiously, making James smile at the question. He added a dollop of honey to his, stirring to allow it to dissolve as he spoke. “Red Raspberry leaf. It's said to do wonders for a person. For instance, it helps with nausea and leg cramps, as it's high in potassium, iron, magnesium, and other b-vitamins,” he recited off, a smile on his lips as she took careful sips. Her eyes were curious, unsure how to feel about the information he was giving her.

 

“Well, it certainly tastes good,” she remarked, a smile on her face as she felt the warmth settle in her stomach. James gave another smile back, glad to hear she enjoyed it. He sipped his own tea before he turned to the cheesecake. How it was done in such a short time amazed her, knowing that it would have to settle for a few hours. A part of her knew the answer: Matthew's magic. He carefully put a slice onto a plate for her, handing it off. Setting her cup down, she took the plate. It looks amazingly well crafted, the swirls making it almost a shame to even eat it, but her stomach gave another growl.

 

“Thank you again, James,” she told him, smiling as she took a careful bite. The chocolate was rich, and fluffy, and all she could do was practically melt into her chair. James gave a chuckle at her actions, but he understood as he took a bit of his own slice. It was quiet between the two of them, both enjoying the tea and cheesecake together. After a while of eating and having tea, James finally decided to speak up. It seems he couldn't keep quiet about the situation any more.

 

“Mika,” he started, making her turn to look at him as she was pouring herself another steaming cup of the Red Raspberry leaf tea. He waited until she was done before he spoke, lest she spill and scald herself. “We do know what is going on,” he started, making her pause as she was about to take a sip of the tea. She stared, uncertain what he was meaning, but his expression wasn't pitying, but it was understanding and worried. “We know what you're going through, and while we can't experience the same pain as you, we can try to help however we can.” She sat there, mortified at this as a heated blush stained her cheeks.

 

Setting down her tea cup, Mika groaned and placed her face in both hands. She wanted the boys to not find out at all, to just suffer through this and not have to worry about them hovering over her. She's gone through this since she was 12. The pain, the side effects, everything entailing with this. “Please don't tell me you guys will be hovering over me. I'm... I'm not going to die because of this,” she stated, looking and feeling almost ready to cry at this rate. James blinked golden eyes, before shaking his head.

 

“We won't be like that! While yes, we worry, but I don't think any of us will be hovering over you or clinging,” he explained, adjusting his glasses. Mika watched him for a moment before she just groaned, her face still showing a heated flush. James gave her a small smile before he reached out to stroke her hair. “Don't worry. If you want us to do something, just go ahead and ask. We won't tease you or harm you over this natural function,” he told her. She gave a mental roll of her eyes. _'It's not natural... this is the magic of Satan himself!_ ' She commented, sighing heavily as she leaned into his touch.

 

“Well,” she started, not sure what's going on. “I'll... keep it in mind,” she stated, giving a small smile before she just sighed again, taking the tea and sipping it. Granted, she didn't feel like it was going to help, but it was nice to spend time. James just gave her a smile before he poured himself another another cup of tea. It was like this for a while, both of them enjoying the comfort of the library, warm tea and cheesecake to occupy their time. Though soon everything ran out and it just left them in the silence.

 

“It was nice, James. Thank you,” she said, smiling at the eldest of the five brothers. He smiled as he started to clean up, with Mika helping out in cleaning up the plates, and tea set. “It isn't any sort of problem, Mika. Now, I'll take care of these,” he told her, standing with the tray in hand, everything stacked carefully, before he headed out of the Library. She stood there, unsure what to do, before sighing again. She followed after James, seeing him heading down the stairs already towards the kitchen. She turned towards her room, deciding a nap may be in order. Out of the corner of her eye, Mika saw movement and turned. Seeing Damien there, a look of concern on his face, surprised Mika.

 

It didn't take long for his face to shift from a gentle smile to worry, as the conversation between her and James as still present in her mind. She tried her best to forget it, but his violet eyes showed he saw it, and she felt nervous, upset, that he was able to see through her so easily. Damien carefully came closer, her thoughts whirling and he was trying to make sense of what they all meant, but he kept a healthy distance, unless she decided to showcase her anger and frustration.

 

“Mika?” He asked, making her focus back on him again. She swallowed and nodded, her eyes averting to the side. “You don't need to feel upset about this,” he told her, his voice gentle as he reached out, grasping her hand. “It's not something you can control, and we understand that.” She still didn't respond, the shame coming back in waves and he felt his concern for her rising at her thoughts. Was it those mood swings that James had described? Mika took in a breath before exhaling, looking too tired for anyone's good.

 

“Let's get you back to bed. You look like you could get some more sleep,” He offered, making her flush again but she allowed him to tug her along back to her room. Everything seemed to be in place, and it helped Mika feel a little better at the fact there weren't any of the Incubi hovering over her. She heard Damien's chuckle and she flushed, momentarily forgetting he read minds once again. She blamed the fact she was going through her Shark Week that caused such a scattered mess inside her head. Without really a care, she moved to lay down on her bed, fighting back a whimper of pain that coiled low in her belly. The youngest of the brother's watched her, his face thoughtful, before he sat on the edge of the bed, stroking her hair.

 

“Is there anything we can do to help?” He asked, wondering what she was thinking, what she wanted to have him help her with. She shook her head lightly and sighed, feeling upset by everything happening. Damien was quiet, letting her sort herself out. “I just... I just want time to go forward, to be done with this already,” she mumbled into the pillow, hiding her face as she curled up. Damien continued to stroke her hair. Mika sighed again as she turned to face him, her mind debating on it.

 

“If you want me to stay, I can,” he told her, hearing how her mind was arguing about going through this alone, to not bother the guys. She flushed, but gave a sigh herself. She finally nodded. With a smile, Damien moved to the other side of her, allowing her to press against him as she laid on her side. His hand continued to brush through her hair, helping to soothe her nerves some. She didn't realize how tired she was, the fact her energy felt non-existent, and she found herself drifting off. She swore she could hear a melody playing. Perhaps Erik was playing on his Piano... or maybe she was remembering her Grandmother's music box that played whenever she visited both her grandparents.

 

Perhaps she didn't have to go through this all alone. It felt nice, to have some comfort, to know that they wouldn't just leave her like this. However, she soon fell back asleep, and saw darkness. She cared not for anything else, just enjoying the comforting presence of Damien beside her, how it seemed that whatever magic he was doing seemed to ease her pain.

 

**Author's Note:**

> So this is the first time I've written anything on AO3. And for an amazing game XD I would love to take any criticism about the characters, where I can fix and improve upon them. Who knows, maybe I'll get working on more chapters for this. 
> 
> So a warning to what's going on, everyone's own 'shark week' has differences, symptoms varying in severity to what actually happens. So do keep in mind that what's going on now is what I, the author, view to happen for her. Who knows? Perhaps we'll seem more of what her symptoms are.
> 
> Hope you all enjoyed~


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